This invention relates to a seat system for the interior of a motor vehicle, in particular for a driver's cab of a truck, including a seat support on the vehicle, and a vehicle seat separable from the seat support and movable from a home position, set on the seat support on the vehicle, into at least one further position.
A seat system of this kind, already known from German document DE 43 04 398 A1, includes a vehicle seat that is movable from a home position, set on a seat support fixed to the floor and located on the vehicle, into a position that is rotated through approximately 90° in relation thereto. The seat support includes, as an essential component, a guide tube, which is fixed to the vehicle floor and which has an axis that forms the pivot axis of the vehicle seat, about which the latter can be displaced out of its home position into a position rotated through 90°.
In this seat system, while it is possible to displace the vehicle seat, the possibilities for varying utilization of the interior remain markedly limited.
One object of the present invention is therefore to provide a seat system, of the type mentioned at the outset, with which the possibilities for variation in the interior of the motor vehicle can be increased.
This object is achieved according to the invention by way of a vehicle scat that has a roller element device by which the vehicle seat can be moved into a further position and separated from the seat support, as well as by way of providing at least one coupling element for a connection line on the seat support that is connectable to a coupling element on the vehicle seat. Advantageous embodiments of the invention having effective and non-trivial further developments are also claimed.
To provide a seat system by way of which the interior of the motor vehicle can be utilized in a markedly more variable way, again, according to the invention, the vehicle seat is separable from the seat support and has a roller element device by way of which the vehicle seat can be moved into a position separated from the seat support. Unlike the prior art according to German document DE 43 04 398 A1, in which, although the vehicle seat can be displaced, there is always a connection with the seat support in the form of the guide tube comprising the pivot axis, with the seat system according to the present invention, the vehicle seat can be completely separated from the seat support. Once separated from the seat support, the vehicle seat may thus be brought into an at least largely freely selectable position within the interior of the motor vehicle by way of the roller element device. Since it is possible to completely separate the vehicle seat and the seat support, the seat does not need a complex bearing and/or guide mechanism for displacing the vehicle seat, which would take up a considerable amount of space. Rather, the complete separation and mobility of the vehicle seat permit use of a relatively simple seat support that takes up almost no space and that does not restrict the free mobility of passengers within the vehicle interior.
Another advantage of a simply constructed seat support lies in the fact that, overall, a seat system that is relatively inexpensive can be provided.
In a further embodiment of the invention, it is advantageous if the seat support includes a receiving means by means of which the roller element device of the vehicle seat may be received in the home position thereof. This has the advantage that a user locates the home position of the vehicle seat on the seat support in a simple manner in order to fasten it in the home position accordingly.
It is also advantageous if the receiving means includes respective receivers, or depressions, in which a respectively corresponding roller element of the roller element device of the vehicle seat can be received in its home position. Receivers or depressions of this kind may be made in a particularly simple form, with the result that the roller elements correspondingly abut against the receivers or depressions and/or are lodged in therein.
It is also advantageous if the roller elements of the roller element device are provided with covers that extend at least approximately as far as the floor of the interior of the motor vehicle. This ensures that objects lying on the floor of the interior cannot block the roller elements but, rather, are pushed away accordingly by the covers.
In a further embodiment of the invention, a locking device is provided between the vehicle seat and the seat support. This device is locked to secure the home position of the vehicle seat, and may be unlocked for moving the vehicle seat into the further position, with the vehicle seat completely released from the seat support. As a result of the locking device, the vehicle seat, which has preferably been pre-positioned in the home position by the receiving means, can thus be simply fastened to the seat support, which for its part is set on the floor. Once the locking is released, the vehicle seat is freely movable in relation to the seat support; that is to say that preferably there is no connection of any kind between the seat support and the vehicle seat.
In a further embodiment of the invention, the locking device has, on the vehicle seat, displaceable locking means, which cooperate with corresponding locking means on the seat support. In other words, locking means including forked catches can be arranged on the vehicle seat, and respective closing hoops can be used as locking means on the seat support. This has the advantage that locking means of simple construction can be provided on the seat support. When the vehicle seat is not in the home position, the locking means are correspondingly resistant to external influences such as vehicle passengers stepping on them.
A further preferred embodiment provides for the seat support to be constructed at least approximately flush with the floor of the interior of the motor vehicle. In this way, the vehicle seat can be moved away from the seat support and pushed over the floor of the interior in a particularly simple way by means of the roller element device.
In a further embodiment of the invention, the seat system includes a control device that communicates with the motor vehicle. Thus, it is conceivable for the locking device to be controllable between the vehicle seat and the seat support by means of the control device. In this way, it is possible, when the locking device is in the home position of the vehicle seat, for the device only to be releasable when the motor vehicle is not being driven. A number of other constructions are conceivable here, as a function of which locking of the vehicle seat to the seat support is performed or can be canceled.
In order to provide a seat system of the type mentioned at the outset with increased possibilities for variation, at least one coupling element for a connection line can be provided in the seat support. This coupling element is connectable to a coupling element on the vehicle seat, or connected in the home position. In other words, according to the invention, mutually corresponding coupling elements can be provided on the vehicle seat and the seat support respectively, with the result that when the home position is released and the seat support is separated, the vehicle seat can be completely separated from the latter. Thus, according to the invention, it is possible for the vehicle seat no longer to be connected in any way to the seat support when it is in the position separated therefrom. Rather, the vehicle seat is movable completely freely within the interior of the motor vehicle. It will be seen that, unlike the prior art, in which a plurality of connection lines to the vehicle seat are conventionally required, this constitutes a substantial simplification. Connection lines that were present previously could not in fact be disconnected, with the result that the free mobility of the vehicle seat after it had been released from its home position was markedly limited. There was also a problem that any corresponding connection lines could be kinked, clamped, twisted, or similarly damaged.
In a further embodiment of the invention, the supply line can take the form of a compressed air line, an electrical power line, or a signal line. With these supply lines, it has been found particularly advantageous if they can be completely separated and thus can no longer impede the free mobility of the vehicle seat beyond the home position.
In this context, a particularly simple coupling can be achieved if at least one coupling element is arranged on an upper side of the seat support, facing the vehicle seat. This upper side provides a particularly simple means of coupling to the coupling element on the vehicle seat.
It is furthermore advantageous if the at least one coupling element on the seat support and the corresponding coupling element on the vehicle seat are arranged to be congruent with one another in the home position of the latter. Thus, when the vehicle seat is put into its home position, a simple or automatic coupling of the respective coupling elements of the corresponding connection line can be achieved.
Further advantages, features, and details will become apparent from the description below of a preferred exemplary embodiment and from the drawings.